Raptors injuries are concerning, but power rankings give them hope

The Toronto Raptors are injured beyond belief. Where does that put them in the NBA power rankings?

Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes reaches for the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are on a hot streak, winning four of their last five games even with injuries plaguing the team.

The Raptors' recent stretch has helped them move up one spot in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's power rankings. The team now sits at No. 11 after being No. 12 last week.

"The Raptors are 4-1 in 2026, with the only loss coming in Boston without Scottie Barnes. They kept their spot in the top four in the East with a huge, overtime win over the Sixers on Sunday," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Raptors lead the fifth-place Sixers by a game and a half, and they’ll complete their head-to-head back-to-back on Monday. Toronto is one of four teams that have yet to play in the Mountain or Pacific time zones, but it will begin a five-game trip in L.A. on Sunday night."

Toronto Raptors forward Collin Murray-Boyles dunks for a basket against the Philadelphia 76ers. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

Raptors make small jump in power rankings

The 10 teams ahead of the Raptors in the power rankings are the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The injuries have been a concern, but the fact that the Raptors have been able to tread water during these difficult times suggest that they should be good in the long run.

"Jakob Poeltl has missed the last 10 games, but the Raptors’ interior defense hasn’t suffered much. Before their loss in Boston on Friday, they had a five-game stretch where their opponents shot just 48% in the paint. The Boston loss knocked them out of the top five on that end of the floor, but they’ve still seen the league’s sixth biggest drop in points allowed per 100 possessions from last season (-1.5)," Schuhmann wrote.

"Both Barnes and Brandon Ingram had played all 38 of the Raptors’ games before Friday. But Ingram suffered a thumb injury in Charlotte and has missed the last two. Barnes returned from a one-game absence on Sunday and had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in the win over Philly. The Raptors have now outscored their opponents by 8.6 points per 100 possessions in their 478 minutes on the floor without Ingram."

The Raptors are back in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 PM ET inside Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.